# Wood-like taste when smoking?



## doublebassmusician (Jul 15, 2008)

A few times when smoking my pipe I have a noticed a slight wood-like taste to the smoke. Those times that this has happened, I stop smoking and let the pipe go out because I'm afraid I might be catching the inside of the bowl on fire or something.

I really don't see how I could be, because the pipe was never hot in my hand when this happened. Can anyone explain this. 

Also, can anyone reassure me that an occasional over-heating of a pipe won't cause the briar to catch fire?


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

Some tobacco can taste woody, actually a lot of cigars have a wood flavor. As for pipe tobacco, if youre smoking briar (which i assume you are if you're afraid you're burning your pipe) it's just the flavor emparting itself into your tobacco, you may not have a lot of cake built up yet to "mask" the wood flavor, but you're probably not doing any damage to it at all.

When I purchased a luciano pipe, it was my first non-charcoal'd pipe - the bowl was just wood, not the black covering. It tasted very strongly on wood (almost entirely masking the tobacco i was smoking) for the first 4-5 bowls until it had some cake built up on it.

Briar is chosen for pipes partly because its so difficult to "accidently" (or even intentionally) catch it on fire. I wouldn't worry unless its a poorly made pipe or you're smoking way way too quickly (in which you'd be complaining about tongue bite rather than a woody taste)

so, your answer is probably the best possible - just smoke more!


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## ChronoB (Nov 4, 2007)

Briar is very resistant to burning (one of its many amazing qualities), so your pipe won't "catch on fire". It is wood, though, and any bowl, uncoated or coated, is susceptible to charring or burns. Unless you're puffing like crazy, though, it is unlikely you'll damage your pipe.


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## BradNTx (Aug 25, 2011)

doublebassmusician said:


> A few times when smoking my pipe I have a noticed a slight wood-like taste to the smoke. Those times that this has happened, I stop smoking and let the pipe go out because I'm afraid I might be catching the inside of the bowl on fire or something.
> 
> I really don't see how I could be, because the pipe was never hot in my hand when this happened. Can anyone explain this.
> 
> Also, can anyone reassure me that an occasional over-heating of a pipe won't cause the briar to catch fire?


This is not untypical if you are smoking a brand new pipe. It should diminish after 5-7 bowls and you start to build up a carbon cake. Be sure not to wipe out the bowl after smokes until you get that cake going.

Some like myself break in new pipes with partial bowls. I usually smoke 1/3 of a bowl 2 times & let the pipe rest a day. Smoke a couple of halfs with another rest. Go to 3/4 for a couple and then move to a full bowl. This should reduce the wood flavor experienced as well and help you get a cake in the heel faster, which can be a little damp and goopy if you smoke a full bowl without a cake or don't smoke the tobacco all the way to the bottom.


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## doublebassmusician (Jul 15, 2008)

Oh yeah. I might as well ask this on here instead of making another thread. I have this one cheap estate pipe that I have been smoking multiple times day after day for a while. I'll fill it up, smoke half, smoke the rest later, then do it again the next day. What kind of harm can you do to a pipe by not letting it rest?


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## BradNTx (Aug 25, 2011)

doublebassmusician said:


> Oh yeah. I might as well ask this on here instead of making another thread. I have this one cheap estate pipe that I have been smoking multiple times day after day for a while. I'll fill it up, smoke half, smoke the rest later, then do it again the next day. What kind of harm can you do to a pipe by not letting it rest?


The main thing with not letting them rest is they can get sour or even foul nasty. If the heel isn't dry by the next morning, you might be heading that direction. Even before they get foul, they can negatively affect the taste of your toby.

If you only have one pipe, and find you enjoy the hobby, you might consider getting a couple of MM cobs to give your pipes some dry time. They are great smokers and can be had from $5-35. I'd stay away from the Chinese made ones, but all the Missouri Meerschaums are great. If you don't like the cheap stems that come on them, you can also upgrade to a Walker Briarworks Forever Stem for $19-30. A Diplomat for $8 and a FS for $19 is a killer smoker for less than $30.


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## doublebassmusician (Jul 15, 2008)

That's what I thought would happen. Can you get rid of sour taste in a pipe with salt and alcohol, or is it that once a pipe is soured, it's ruined and nothing can be done?


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## ChronoB (Nov 4, 2007)

doublebassmusician said:


> That's what I thought would happen. Can you get rid of sour taste in a pipe with salt and alcohol, or is it that once a pipe is soured, it's ruined and nothing can be done?


Simply cleaning out your pipe with everclear/golden grain periodically will keep it from getting skunky (especially the shank).

If you're enjoying pipe smoking and want more pipes, keep an eye on the specials page at pulversbriar.com. Marty often pack 4 or 5 estate pipes together for $35-$55 dollars. A _great _way to expand your rotation for not much money.


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## BradNTx (Aug 25, 2011)

doublebassmusician said:


> That's what I thought would happen. Can you get rid of sour taste in a pipe with salt and alcohol, or is it that once a pipe is soured, it's ruined and nothing can be done?


I agree with Chrono. Salt treatments may be effective, but I've never used them myself. I clean mine with vodka and they do fine. Also might want to run a pipe cleaner through the stem after every smoke if you don't already.


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## Requiem (Dec 6, 2008)

I have a GBD Prehistoric (french, from the 80's I think) that always tastes woody. It's dedicated to VA's and I actually enjoy the taste. I don't think it is damaged at all (it also smokes pretty cool), although I can't explain why it tastes like that.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

doublebassmusician said:


> A few times when smoking my pipe I have a noticed a slight wood-like taste to the smoke. Those times that this has happened, I stop smoking and let the pipe go out because I'm afraid I might be catching the inside of the bowl on fire or something.
> 
> I really don't see how I could be, because the pipe was never hot in my hand when this happened. Can anyone explain this.


You know, this just happened to me this week with a new pipe. Call me crazy, but it was such a quick whiff, I think it was a bit of sawdust or whatever. I did the same thing as you, but found no damage. It hasn't happened since.


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## Marc Romero (Aug 13, 2011)

If you're breaking in a new pipe with an uncoated bowl, it will taste like wood for the first couple of smokes until the briar gets well charred and cake starts to form.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

I've never had that happen until this pipe.


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## z0diac (May 18, 2010)

The pipe will become VERY to the touch before it starts to burn through. If it's still holdable in the hand I wouldn't worry about it. Just give a quick visual on the inside of the bowl after.

But my guess would be it's just the natural fumes of wood coming through as the bowl is heated. Doesn't mean it's burning - at an elevated temperature the bowl will just give off more fumes than at room temp.

Use the soft rounded spoon thing in a 3-piece tamper after smoking. Really scrape the inside of the bowl. If dark charcoal isn't breaking off the insides, you have nothing to worry about. The insides will char if it's actually burning the bowl.


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## z0diac (May 18, 2010)

^^ "VERY to the touch" should read "VERY hot to the touch" (it won't let me edit it)


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

Good advice here I see. I have to ask though, were you smoking Virginia Woods? That will do it every time. LOL. :laugh: Just playing.


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## pipinho (Aug 27, 2011)

i had the same problem with my refurbished estate pipes. I swear they had never been cleaned so i reamed to the wood and did the salt alcohol treatment with the alcohol rub + burn on the bowl. Think it's slowly but surely getting better.


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

pipinho said:


> i had the same problem with my refurbished estate pipes. I swear they had never been cleaned so i reamed to the wood and did the salt alcohol treatment with the alcohol rub + burn on the bowl. Think it's slowly but surely getting better.


cause you're building up that cake layer, so yes.. it probably is slowly getting better!


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